Old and grouchy gets it done…The best doctor ever with…the up and coming new/old guy…

So finally we get in episode 2 what we should have gotten in episode 1 (Is this a Dr. Who firefly moment)? As the doctor is revealed in all his glory as a grouchy, Scottish, alien, and awesome character. The episode on par is mediocre, but it has accelerated Capaldi into the ranks of great old/grouch doctor (they tend to be old/grouchy or young/energetic, or the amazing Colin Baker who was young/grouchy). Continue reading “Dr Who – The Daleks Are Scary! We Tried!” »

Ever since I started my epic journey by watching all doctors from the sixties on, I’ve come to see Tennant as a bit more overrated (start your hate mail now. That’s why there’s comments) and I’ve embraced and really come to love the older grouchier doctor.

William Hartnell described the doctor as a bit like the wizard of oz or santa clause. I have to really say I enjoy the doctor in this light. The darker terser version where the clever “grey fox” (as companion Ian Chesterton, still the best companion, would call him) would wile his way out of danger.

These era of Dr. Who episodes made the daleks what they were. You see, the doctor never beat the Daleks…they just ran whenever the Daleks showed up. So imagine my joy when I learned that our beloved Steven Moffat was bringing the glory days back (not that a young doctor is bad, its just been the thing since Peter Davison and honestly I wanted an old grouchy doctor for a while). Except Moffat didn’t deliver, at least not nearly as well as I had hoped. Continue reading “Dr. Who? (Add Emphasis on Last Word)” »

So like legions of other fans, I ignored the hype, ignored all the reviews, and ignored countless pleas from more intelligent friends and went and saw Ninja Turtles. I’m not really interested in doing a hatchet job on a franchise I’ve loved since I was little.

I’ll also be honest and say that most fans love the cartoons (which are fine). I really didn’t, I was the old school dark broody ninja turtles fan.

Then definitely a fan of the broody but (understandably) less violent 2003 series.

So like many other fans, I was hoping beyond hope (although I understood it to be naïve) for a gripping thrilling dark, not too explosiony, but more subdued and fun intelligent turtles. The kind of turtles that made teenage me a fan, the kind of fan that producer Michael Bay said he wanted to make movies for. Alack alas, I got transformers instead. Continue reading “TMNT…Seriously? Youtube did it better…” »

So what is up with Hunger Games Catching Fire? I got to see this baby the day before anyone else in the United States and I have to say the movie exceeds my expectations. Honestly, the books descend in my preferences sequentially so “Catching Fire” should have been meh or meh+. So what was the change?

If you don’t know the plot, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mallark are forced back into more murderdeathkill by President Snow aka Santa. Hijinks ensue. This installment is less about broody forest walking and more about “MY AXE TO YOUR FACE.” Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of axe to the facing going on in this movie. The second installment is more about drama and political commentary. That’s really more Shannon’s lane than mine. Besides, the political commentary is just kind of there. There’s not really any poignancy to it. You end up leaving the theater depressed with a message that Suzanne Collins delivered much more successfully in print. Continue reading “Catching Fire” »